Mangal Shobhajatra heightens significance of Pahela Boishakh celebrations

The Bengali New Year holds pride, tradition, and a sense of identity for the people of Bangladesh. Unlike many other nations, we have our own calendar, the Bengali Panjika, for our daily needs and calculations. Bangladesh is primarily an agrarian country, and agriculture is our mainstay. The majority of our population resides in rural areas, where the Bengali calendar is extensively used for various activities.

Bangladesh experiences six seasons, each contributing to the diversity of our daily lives. Just as we experience seasonal variations, we also feel the diversity in agricultural produce. Having our own calendar is essential for various tasks, alongside using the Hijri and Gregorian calendars for religious and international purposes, respectively.

We take great pride in having our own Bengali calendar, and the celebration of Pahela Boishakh marks the official start of the Bengali New Year. People across the country eagerly await this day with enthusiasm. Government offices and courts prioritize the Bengali date and display the corresponding Gregorian date underneath. Public celebrations and festivities mark the day, with both government and private sectors organizing various programs.

Notably, Charukala students of Dhaka University's Fine Arts faculty lead colorful processions, enhancing the significance of the occasion. The Mangal Shobhajatra, a procession for well-being, symbolizes our collective aspirations for ourselves and for all humanity. Through this procession, we pledge to overcome all adversities and progress with new initiatives.

The Mangal Shobhajatra has gained international recognition as a symbol of world heritage by UNESCO. It's not just a tradition limited to Bangladesh but resonates globally among diaspora Bengalis. However, despite our rich cultural heritage, there's a risk of neglecting it in today's fast-paced world. Many may not accurately recall the Bengali date today, but they can easily recall the Gregorian date. We must not forget our cultural heritage, which is integral to our identity as a nation.

While we accept foreign calendars and cultures, we must ensure that we don't lose our own rich cultural heritage. Our Bengali traditions and customs need to be upheld, even as we prioritize the Bengali calendar and Pahela Boishakh celebrations in offices and courts. It's essential to cherish and celebrate our cultural heritage, especially on Pahela Boishakh, as it connects us to our roots and shapes our future.
On the occasion of Pahela Boishakh, the Bengali New Year, I extend my heartfelt greetings to the people of the country. Let us pledge today to uphold our cultural heritage as we move forward in our lives. The Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, always emphasized on preserving and embracing Bangladesh's indigenous cultural heritage. He spoke about enriching our lives through our own culture.

Today, we speak in the Bengali language. Bengali is not just the national language of Bangladesh anymore; it has become an international language. February 21st has been recognized as International Mother Language Day in Bangladesh. This has been made possible through struggles and movements. February 21st is observed globally as International Mother Language Day. This is a matter of great pride for Bangladesh. The Bengali language and culture have gained recognition worldwide. Today, we must take an oath to hold onto the traditions of the Bengali language and culture. We must strive to promote it globally from every position. Bangabandhu said that neglecting one's own language and culture does not lead any nation to progress. It cannot stand tall in the world arena. Understanding the essence of his words, we must rely on our own language and culture for the future.

Among our current generation, there is some indifference towards the Bengali language and culture. This is because our education system and social practices in Bangladesh give comparatively less importance to our indigenous cultural heritage. As a result, students are not able to properly understand Bangladesh's own language and cultural heritage. We study various subjects from around the world, but we do not give the same emphasis to our own language and culture. Many of us do not even try to understand our own language and culture. We think we already know our own language, so what is there to learn? But to read and write Bengali properly, we need to regularly practice. While we give importance to spelling and pronunciation when learning the English language, we neglect the same for the Bengali language. As a result, weaknesses in pronunciation and spelling of the Bengali language can be observed among our students.

If we emphasize on learning the Bengali language and using the Bengali calendar from our educational life, our attachment to our own language and the Bengali New Year will significantly increase. If we write the Bengali year and date on the board at the beginning of classes, students will naturally be interested in their own year and date. Making students aware of their own language, year, and date at various stages of their education will have an impact on them when they enter professional life. They will learn to respect their own language, year, and date. We must remember that neglecting one's own language, culture, and heritage prevents any nation from advancing with dignity in the world.

Author: Educationist, former Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University.
Transcribe: M A Khaleque